Bangladesh's pink gold

Prawn farming is a lucrative business in Bangladesh

BBC Radio 4's Crossing Continents was broadcast on Thursday, 17 February, 2005, at 1100 GMT.

The programme was repeated on Monday, 21 February, 2005, at 2030 GMT.

Those succulent crustaceans with their trademark tiger stripes have become a crucial part of the economy in Bangladesh.

After the garment industry, prawn farming is now the highest foreign exchange earner.

Millions of kilos are exported to Britain alone every year. But as the cash rolls in, so do allegations of environmental destruction and human rights abuses.

Prawn barons have even been accused of using criminal gangs to push the poor rice farmers off their land.

Lucy Ash travelled to Bangladesh to meet people working in the industry, as well as those campaigning against it.

She asked the authorities what they can do to ensure that the profits from prawns are more equally distributed in one of the poorest countries on earth.

Presenter: Lucy Ash
Producer: Aasiya Lodhi